Becoming the People of God: The Pentateuch in Context (BA9801Z)

Content

This unit critically explores the Pentateuch or Torah as foundational to the biblical narrative and theological identity of Israel. It is a compilation of texts derived from a range of sources across different historical periods, reflecting varied ideologies, agendas, and understandings of the divine. Students investigate its contents, its complex evolution and formation, the diverse historical contexts, multiple literary forms, and theological themes, with sustained attention to its enduring significance in both Jewish and Christian traditions. The unit is structured around probing theological questions: Who is this God? Who are the people? And, what does it mean to be becoming?

Learning outcomes

Unit sequence

The prerequisites for this unit are two postgraduate foundation-level Biblical Studies units.

Pedagogy

This unit will incorporate a flipped learning approach prior to on-campus workshops that combine direct instruction and collaborative learning approaches.

Indicative Bibliography

· Fischer, Irmtraud, Mercedes Navarro Puerto, Andrea Taschl-Erber, and Jorunn Økland, eds. Torah. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2011.

· Dozeman, Thomas. The Pentateuch: Introducing the Torah. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2017.

· Anderson, Bradford A., and Paula Gooder. An Introduction to the Study of the Pentateuch. Second edition. London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2020. https://doi.org/10.5040/9780567673428.

· Baker, Leslie Scott, Kenneth Bergland, Felipe A. Masotti, and A. Rahel Wells, eds. Exploring the Composition of the Pentateuch. University Park, Pennsylvania: Eisenbrauns, 2020.

· Habel, Norman C., and Anne Pattel-Gray. The Colonial God YHWH: Progressive Revelation of the Character of YHWH in the Book of Exodus. Adelaide: ATF Theology, 2023.

· Schniedewind, William M., Jason Zurawski, and Gabriele Boccaccini, eds. Torah: Functions, Meanings, and Diverse Manifestations in Early Judaism and Christianity. Atlanta, GA: SBL Press, 2021.

· Warner, Megan. Genesis: An Introduction and Study Guide: A Past for a People in Need of a Future. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2024.

· Bakhos, Carol. The family of Abraham: Jewish, Christian and Muslim interpretations. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2014.

· Held, Shai, The Heart of Torah, Essays on the Weekly Torah Portion: Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Vol. 2. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2017.

· West, Mona and Robert E. Shore-Goss, eds. Queer Bible Commentary. 2nd ed. SCM, 2006.

· Joerstad, Mari. The Hebrew Bible and Environmental Ethics: Humans, Non-Humans, and the Living Landscape. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108568418.

Assessment